Chassis and body construction



`April 9, 1935. M. oLLEY CHASSIS AND BODY CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 4, 1933 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 CHASSIS AND BODY CONSTRUCTION Maurice Olley, Detroit, Mich., assigner to General Motors Corporation, Detroit,Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application December 4, 1933, serial No. 700.867 Y i.

7 claims. (o1. 18o-73) This invention relates to motor vehicles in which the road wheels are mounted at the ends of longitudinally disposed lever, armspivotally connected to the vehicle frame.

i The invention is concerned specifically with a reduced.

vehicle having a suspension system ofthe foregoing type applied toI the rear wheels with lever -arms independently pvoted on the frame forward of the wheels for oscillation of the wheels in a vertical plane parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the vehicle about an axis at right'angles thereto, having resilient means between the lever arm andthe frame acting on the latter at a point rearward of the pivot point so that the reaction of the resilient means on the frame will be in a generally upward direction. V

It relates to the construction of a suitable frame for such a vehicle, to the manner oi mounting means resiliently-restraining movement of the lever arms relatively to the frame, and to the manner of mounting the .body ,on the rframe r in such a way that itsmass may be effective in Y opposing the reaction of the resilient means on the frame whereby the bending moments to which thelatter As ordinarily constructed, the; frames of. vehicles provided with the foregoing form of independent suspension of the road wheels are subjected to large bending moments.

One object of the invention is to reduce the vertical load on the pivots and the stresses to whichr the frame is subjected by providing the rear Wheel supporting lever arms with resilient means restraining their movement relative to the frame Aand so arranged as-to exert an upward load on the frame which will be directly opposed by the main downward load of the body throughsuitably disposed supporting points for the body'on the frame.

It is another object ofthe invention to provide the vehicle with a frame which extends rearward `of `the pivot points of the wheel supporting lever arms of the rear wheels only far enough to provide a suitable reaction point for the resilient means restraining movement of the wheel supporting lever arms and Vthen to extend the body to the rear thereof, in the formvof a bustle to carry as many of the essential masses of the vehicle such as the gasoline tank, rspare wheels, and luggage as are necessary to provide the requisite downward load. Such a concentration of masses to the rear is of further advantage in that it increases the polar moment of the car.

It is a further object of the invention to supis subjected will be materially f .the lever arms.

fport the rear bumper ori the bustleM and to.V provide means for transmitting any blow on the rear bumper to the frame as directly as possible so that the force thereof isfdivided between thelbody` and the frame. Y, The general object of the` invention is to se- `curevthe foregoing specific objects `of the in'- vvention withsuch azcoordination and organization of the elements involved, which include the Aframe, the suspension system, the body and the 1` essential loads to be carried thereby,fas` to secure aV low stressed, narrow vrigid frame, and

an economy of structure in which the .essential items such as gasoline tank, spare tires, and luggage constituting non-operative load are carried in a bustle constituting a rearward extension of the body beyond the frame, and unrestricted by theY frame, whereb'yfsuch loads .best contribute to the ideal pdispositionbf the `masses constituting the load borne by ther vehicle, and` enable-the various loads and forcesV to which the vehicle issubjected to be `advantageously shared will be apparent as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawing shows the rear end of a motor vehicle in which the requirements of the suspension necessitate a frame which is knarrower than usual but stronger andV more rigid. -30

The longitudinal sidemembers of the frame are deep and straight Vwithout any sweepsand are cut off directly behind the differentialy to lforni a chassis with Va"transomrstern having lateral outriggerswhich support the body at their ends directly above the shackles of thereversedquar- 1 ter elliptic rear springs. Not only is vthere no need for the frameto extend further rearward fromV this point, but such a Yrearward extension between the body and the chassis with an actual reduction of the bending moments on the frame.

Y 'The above andother objects of the invention would actually .interfere with theplacing Vof the y gasoline Vtank etc., inthe otherwise large k,unrestricted space which is so well provided :bythe bustle, without'exceeding the rearoverhang from wheel center to bumper of an average car. Y

The concentration of body, load'onv the ends of the lateral outriggers of the VAtransom stern provides a downward force directly yopposing the "concentrated upward force ofthe 'springs at that,

point, thereby reducing very considerably the vertical load ong-the pivots and ythe extreme bending moment to which the rear end of the frame would otherwise be subjected at the pivotal point of In the drawing fao Figure 1 is a perspective view of the underside of the rear end of the chassis. Y

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective View showingthe construction of an extension to the body sill to carry the overhung bustle,v and the manner of mounting on the outriggers of the frame.-

. Figure 3 is a part sectionV on line 3--3 of Figure 1 showing the manner 'in which the extension to the body sill is connected to the rear transom outriggers and the manner in which any blow on the rear bumper is transmitted'to the frame through the outriggers as directly as possible.

Figure 4 isV an enlarged section on line 4--4 of Figure 2 showingthe manner of attaching the body sill to outriggers of the frame.

The frame has longitudinal side members I and 2 terminating at the rear in a transomf Reversed quarter elliptic leaf'springs I.I 'and I2 -are respectively rigidly bolted to springperches 1 I3 and I4 on-the hubs 950i lever arms 6 and 1, and are shackled to the outriggers 4 and 5 through shackles I 5; A Y

The springs II and I2 are parallel with the longitudinal axis of thev vehicle while the lever arms divergev outwards thereto fromvthe pivot hubs 9 in order that the springs will not interfere with the required'range of pivotal movement of the lever arms;

A rubber cushion I6 is provided on the underside of the outer end of each Outrigger 4 and 5 coacting with a lug extension I 1 of leach lever armto cushion the extreme upward movement of the lever arms relatively tothe frame.`

The differential housing I8" is fixed to the frame and the drive therefrom is taken to the road wheels through universally jointed drive shafts I8. Y

The body structure includes steel angle plates I9 and 20 which forman-extension of the body sills I9 and 20 to carry the-overhung bustle 2|. These steel angle plates I9 and 2l] are provided with brackets 22 for the rear bumper 22.

` Small brackets 23 are mounted on theyunderside of the angle plates I9 and 20v and serve to transmit any blow on the rear bumper asldirectly as possible to the outriggers 4 and 5 through the 'rubber cushions 24 and 25 through which each bracket 23 is connected with its Outrigger 4 or 5 by a bolt 26.

Suitable pads 21 of non-resonant material are interposed between the steel angle plates andthe outriggers 4 and 5 to which they are attached by forms a support for the rear door-pillars (not shown).

The angle plates are extended forward and screwed to the sills I9' and 2D to make a solid structure.

The outer ends of the angle plates I9 and 20 are connected together by a bar 33.

Additional outriggers such as 34, 35 are fastened to the chassis at places where substantial cross members such as 3B can be provided in the frame and the sills I9' and 20 and vertical webs or Valances such as 31 which connect the running boards (notshown) to the sills are bolted to the outer ends of the outriggers.` Suitable pads such as 21 of non-resonant material are interposed between all the points of connection of the body to the frame.

The bustle 2| and pan 39 form a large box at the rear of the car for housing the gasoline tank, spare wheels, and luggage.

I claim: e

vl. In a motor vehicle in combination, a narrow frame, lateral outriggers thereon, lever arm supports for the road wheels arranged for pivotal movement about a Xed transverse axis on the frame, a body extending rearwardly beyond the 'frame including body sills .rearwardly overhanging-the frame, a rear cross memberfor the frame, lateral outriggers on the rear cross member, the

body being supported onthe ends of the lateral E Youtriggersga rear. bumper mounted on the rearwardly overhanging` ends of the body sills, resilient means restraining pivotal movement of the lever arms relativelyvto the frame and reacting in an upward direction on the lateral outriggers of the rear cross member of theframe, the reaction being opposed by the weight' of the body extension and its contents whereby the bending moments to which the frame is subjected are reduced, and meanswhereby a blow on the rear bumper is transmitted from the body to the frame and thereby shared between the body and the frame.y 1

2. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a frame,

va body, Va wheel supporting lever arm pivotally mounted on the frame, means resiliently restrainving pivotal -movement' of the lever arm, said means 'reacting in an upward direction on the Vframe, an extensionV of the body adaptedto contain some of the-essential load items and extending longitudinally beyond the frame, and having a bumper mounted thereon with means for transmitting any blow on the bumper to theY frame as directly as possible, said extension being supported at a point von the frame in that-region thereof on which the said resilient means react, "whereby the mass of the extension of thev body with some of the essential load items is concentrated at the said point on the frame in oppositionto the upward force of the resilient means, andthe forces and loads to whichthe vehicle is subjected are divided between the body and the frame, and the stresses to which the latter is subrjected are reduced.

3. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a frame, 1 a body, a rear wheel supporting lever arm pivotally mounted on the frame, means resiliently restraining pivotal 'movement of the lever arm,

said meansreacting in an upward direction on theframe, a bustle adapted `to contain someA of` the essential load tems and constituting an exin that region thereoi:` on which the said resilient means react, whereby the mass of the bustle with some of VAthe essential load items is concentrated atthe said point' on'the frame' in opposition to tension of the body to the rearv of the frame, and

the upward force of the resilient means, and the forces and loads to which the vehicle is subjected are divided between the body and the frame, and the stresses to which the latter is subjected are reduced.

4. A motor vehicle according to claim 2 in which the frame is narrower than the body and is provided with lateral outriggers on which the body is supported.

5. A motor vehicle according to claim 2 in which the resilient means restraining pivotal movement of the lever arm consists of a quarter elliptic leaf spring rigidly bolted to the lever arm.

6. A motor vehicle according to claim 2, having pads of non-resonant material interposed between the body and the frame at their points of attachment, and means whereby any blow on the bumper is transmitted from the body to the frame through resilient ,cushioning means.

7. In a motor vehicle, in combination, a frame, a body, driven road Wheels, lever arms pivotally mounted on the vehicle frame for the support of the driven road Wheels, drive shafts to the said road wheels, gearing for the drive shafts, a housing for the gearing mounted on the frame, the frame terminating immediately beyond the housing, means resiliently restraining pivotal movement of the lever arms, said means reacting in an upward direction onthe frame, an extension of kthe body adapted to contain'some of the essen-V tial load items and extending longitudinally beyond the frame, and having a bumper mounted thereon with means for transmitting any blow on the bumper to the frame as directly as possible, said extension being supported at a point on the frame in that region thereof on which the said resilient means react, whereby the mass of the extension of the body with some of the'essential load items is concentrated at the said point on the frame in opposition to the upward force of the resilient means, and the forces and loads to which the vehicle is subjected are divided between the body and the frame, and the stresses to which the 20 latter is subjected are reduced.

MAURICE OLLEY.,y 

